This is a short article in The Science Teacher journal. It's written by the field editor for the editor's corner.
The price of water is increasing at a rapid pace. Americans spend over $8 a gallon for half-liter containers of bottled water, even more for pricier brands. Water is becoming scarce around the world the deletion of Earth's water resources threaten to make water the "new oil."
The auhor explains in a very informative manner how lucky we are on this planet to have liquid water at all. For example, if the Earth would be only a little bit more closer to the Sun, even just 1%, water on our planet would only be present as vapor. Also, if Earth would be a bit farther from the Sun, water would be present as frozen solid. In addition, the size of the Earth itsels provides just the right amount of gravity to retain an atmosphere rich in water vapor. Furthermore, the atmosphere also has an effect on the presence of water. If our atmosphere would be slightly different in composition, it would be unable to support liquid water. Specifically, if the concenration of CO2 would be lower in the air, Earth's average temperature could drop well below water's freezing point. Coversely, if the concentration of CO2 would be higher in the air, a major greenhouse effect would result where only the vapor form of water could exist.
The author then provides several examples of major water related concerns and issues. He mentions hurricane Katrina and the Asian tsunami. He also talks about the Three Gorges Dam Project in China, which created the largest hydroelectric dam in the world (more than five times the size of the Hoover Dam). This project created many dangerous environmental effects. In addition, damming the Yangtze River destroyed many archaeological and culural sites and flooded over 1,000 villages and displaced more than a million people.
The author also talks about the glaciers melting at an unprecedented pace. The impacts of polluted water on human health have become more severe, with as many as one billion people around the world not having access to safe water and sanitation. He also mentions the frequent beach closures due to pollution. For example, New England experienced one of the worst red tides in 2005, which resulted in about $15 million in economic losses in Massachusetts alone.
In conclusion, water is absolutely essential for life. Water covers about three quarters of Earth's surface and composes two thirds of our bodies. His main point is that preserving Earth's water resources may become a major challenge in the new millennium and that we need to start being more aware of the critical value of fresh water.
My personal reaction:
I found this article very informing and alarming at the same time. That's because it talks about the most vital necessity in our lives - water and the danger of our planet running out of it. I definitely agree with the author that we must start preserving the water and begin to appreciate the extreme miracle of having any fresh water at all. We are so extremely lucky to have access to fresh water yet we are ridiculously wasting it away. I have to say that I notice a huge amount of water being wasted especially in this country. Some people here are watering their lawns every single day! That is gallons and gallons of wasted water. That is almost sinful in my opinion, considering that according to this article nearly one billion people are lacking access to safe water and sanitation. As a future science teacher, one of my priorities will definitely be to educate young students about preserving our source of life - water.
Metz, Steve (2006, September). Liquid Gold. Retrieved October
27, 2007, from http://www.nsta.org/publications/article.aspx?id=Z349URi8cV7XufkBgZKQnmrlTbrIQP5yl3/
OlTFAEis=
Liquid Gold
Summary of the article:
This is a short article in The Science Teacher journal. It's written by the field editor for the editor's corner.
The price of water is increasing at a rapid pace. Americans spend over $8 a gallon for half-liter containers of bottled water, even more for pricier brands. Water is becoming scarce around the world the deletion of Earth's water resources threaten to make water the "new oil."
The auhor explains in a very informative manner how lucky we are on this planet to have liquid water at all. For example, if the Earth would be only a little bit more closer to the Sun, even just 1%, water on our planet would only be present as vapor. Also, if Earth would be a bit farther from the Sun, water would be present as frozen solid. In addition, the size of the Earth itsels provides just the right amount of gravity to retain an atmosphere rich in water vapor. Furthermore, the atmosphere also has an effect on the presence of water. If our atmosphere would be slightly different in composition, it would be unable to support liquid water. Specifically, if the concenration of CO2 would be lower in the air, Earth's average temperature could drop well below water's freezing point. Coversely, if the concentration of CO2 would be higher in the air, a major greenhouse effect would result where only the vapor form of water could exist.
The author then provides several examples of major water related concerns and issues. He mentions hurricane Katrina and the Asian tsunami. He also talks about the Three Gorges Dam Project in China, which created the largest hydroelectric dam in the world (more than five times the size of the Hoover Dam). This project created many dangerous environmental effects. In addition, damming the Yangtze River destroyed many archaeological and culural sites and flooded over 1,000 villages and displaced more than a million people.
The author also talks about the glaciers melting at an unprecedented pace. The impacts of polluted water on human health have become more severe, with as many as one billion people around the world not having access to safe water and sanitation. He also mentions the frequent beach closures due to pollution. For example, New England experienced one of the worst red tides in 2005, which resulted in about $15 million in economic losses in Massachusetts alone.
In conclusion, water is absolutely essential for life. Water covers about three quarters of Earth's surface and composes two thirds of our bodies. His main point is that preserving Earth's water resources may become a major challenge in the new millennium and that we need to start being more aware of the critical value of fresh water.
My personal reaction:
I found this article very informing and alarming at the same time. That's because it talks about the most vital necessity in our lives - water and the danger of our planet running out of it. I definitely agree with the author that we must start preserving the water and begin to appreciate the extreme miracle of having any fresh water at all. We are so extremely lucky to have access to fresh water yet we are ridiculously wasting it away. I have to say that I notice a huge amount of water being wasted especially in this country. Some people here are watering their lawns every single day! That is gallons and gallons of wasted water. That is almost sinful in my opinion, considering that according to this article nearly one billion people are lacking access to safe water and sanitation. As a future science teacher, one of my priorities will definitely be to educate young students about preserving our source of life - water.